ElectionPeople delude themselves into justifying their behavior. "I deserve more, because..." or "I was justified in doing this, because..." If we could hear the inner monologues of most of the people who cross our paths every day, no doubt we'd think that everyone around us was criminally selfish and delusional. That's the appeal of Alexander Payne's 1999 black comedy, Election. The story follows a tenured teacher, Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick), and concerns his resentment toward an overachieving student named Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon). Their warped rivalry comes to a head during an election for student council president, subsequently exposing their true colors.
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1999 was a fascinating year for movies. There was a preponderance of now-modern classics that dealt with themes of tearing down the superficiality and creature comforts of society, from Fight Club to American Beauty, and even Office Space. Similarly produced by MTV Films (back when that meant something), Election fits neatly into that mold by subverting the idea that everyday people in the Midwest (Omaha, Nebraska, to be specific here) don't have psychological compulsions or sociopathic tendencies. Quite the opposite, actually, because in Election, virtually all of the characters--except, perhaps, quarterback turned political rival to Tracy, the overly simple Paul Metzler (Chris Klein)--are outwardly decent but inwardly corrupt, narcissistic, or both. Things seem hunky dory at the start. Self-avowed lover of teaching Jim McAllister starts his day exercising at the school and showering before getting down to work. He teaches history, including morals and ethics, deriving some passive-aggressive pleasure from forcing his students to define the difference between the two. (Achingly ironic given how Jim carries on as the film progresses.) He narrates his accolades to the audience, as if describing his best self to us so that we might sympathize with our protagonist. In the other corner is Tracy, who gets her turn at bat doing the very same, complaining how guys like Paul get everything they want without having to work for it...like she does! She is a "Little Miss Perfect" driven to the extreme, involved in every extracurricular activity, specifically focusing on student government, and putting in 110% at all times. So when Tracy raises her hand in class to answer Jim's question about morals and ethics, and Jim obviously ignores her, it's immediately clear that he's barely keeping his resentment and bitterness concealed, especially from us. One of the ways that Election engages us is by deliberately subverting the tradition that narration reflects what a character is truly thinking. Here, it seems more like this is their own inner monologue which they wrap around themselves like a blanket to shield them from the awareness of their weaknesses. So as a result, everything we hear in this narration (again, save for Paul, who is so comically simple that this becomes a counterpoint instead) must be taken with a grain of salt.
Audiences will quickly conclude--erroneously, however--the basis for Jim's resentment of Tracy comes from an inappropriate student/teacher affair that occurred between her and his erstwhile colleague, Dave Novotny (Mark Harelik). Through flashbacks, we see that Dave--who Jim describes as someone who became a teacher so that he would never have to leave high school--abused his position and, yes, committed statutory rape. His justification is that he has been dissatisfied in his marriage to his wife, Linda (Delaney Driscoll), and that she's interested in "reading his novel". (Never mind that he hasn't written it yet.) The altogether resilient Tracy bounces back from this exploitation and, by all appearances, managed to keep this secret from all...except Jim and the overly image conscious school principal, Walt Hendricks (Phil Reeves). So, while it would be wrong to excuse this behavior, it might be at least understandable that Jim would regret losing his colleague. But this isn't what really gets Jim's goat. What really bothers him goes far deeper, on a fundamental level. He resents others who may be smarter or superior to him; as a teacher, that's his job to be the smart one! Despite his down-to-earth, one step removed from Mr. Rogers persona, Jim is a deluded narcissist and manipulator of children. In reality, there is little question by the end of the story that he became a teacher to--like Dave--exploit those children in his charge, albeit for a very different reason. Jim's high-functioning neurosis doesn't stop here. After Dave leaves town, Jim starts ogling Linda, creating more and more situations for them to be together. Never mind the fact that he and his wife, Diane (Molly Hagan), are trying for a baby. After finally pressuring Linda into a morning quickie, he sees himself as "liberated", and is eager to continue the affair, even shoving an ultra-hard pop quiz on his students to give him adequate time to set the stage for "romance" in a cheap hotel room. Jim is so obsessed with getting more than he has out of life that he feels entitled to this affair, justifying it in his mind that he "loves" Linda, which he does not. There is also a subtle intimation that there might be some complicated and confused feelings between Jim and Tracy as well. After all, Tracy's first (presumed) sexual experience came from a teacher much like Jim, and Jim enjoys exerting his dominance over Tracy when he can--which considering how ineffectual he is, isn't often at all. Rumors and information become currency in this Machiavellian relationship. Consider when the two hurl threats at one another in a battle of egos after Jim accuses Tracy of tearing up her competition's campaign posters (which she did). The cleverness of Election is in the way that, despite these characters being terrible, self-absorbed people, we find ourselves understanding them regardless. Not sympathizing, mind you, but just seeing how they could be so horrible. Because deep down, they believe that they are entitled to something more than they truly deserve, and lack the necessary ethical boundaries to contain their avarice. Surely the title, Election, is no coincidence. One has only to look at national politics to see the likes of Jim and Tracy run rampant. God help us all if they represent the future of our great nation!
Recommended for: Fans of a black comedy that subverts expectations about the motivations of the characters through narration, and challenges the idea that someone who appears to be good actually is good at all. Election is at its best when the battle of wills between Jim and Tracy is in full swing--and kind of lags the rest of the time--resembling something like All About Eve by way of Heathers.
Audiences will quickly conclude--erroneously, however--the basis for Jim's resentment of Tracy comes from an inappropriate student/teacher affair that occurred between her and his erstwhile colleague, Dave Novotny (Mark Harelik). Through flashbacks, we see that Dave--who Jim describes as someone who became a teacher so that he would never have to leave high school--abused his position and, yes, committed statutory rape. His justification is that he has been dissatisfied in his marriage to his wife, Linda (Delaney Driscoll), and that she's interested in "reading his novel". (Never mind that he hasn't written it yet.) The altogether resilient Tracy bounces back from this exploitation and, by all appearances, managed to keep this secret from all...except Jim and the overly image conscious school principal, Walt Hendricks (Phil Reeves). So, while it would be wrong to excuse this behavior, it might be at least understandable that Jim would regret losing his colleague. But this isn't what really gets Jim's goat. What really bothers him goes far deeper, on a fundamental level. He resents others who may be smarter or superior to him; as a teacher, that's his job to be the smart one! Despite his down-to-earth, one step removed from Mr. Rogers persona, Jim is a deluded narcissist and manipulator of children. In reality, there is little question by the end of the story that he became a teacher to--like Dave--exploit those children in his charge, albeit for a very different reason. Jim's high-functioning neurosis doesn't stop here. After Dave leaves town, Jim starts ogling Linda, creating more and more situations for them to be together. Never mind the fact that he and his wife, Diane (Molly Hagan), are trying for a baby. After finally pressuring Linda into a morning quickie, he sees himself as "liberated", and is eager to continue the affair, even shoving an ultra-hard pop quiz on his students to give him adequate time to set the stage for "romance" in a cheap hotel room. Jim is so obsessed with getting more than he has out of life that he feels entitled to this affair, justifying it in his mind that he "loves" Linda, which he does not. There is also a subtle intimation that there might be some complicated and confused feelings between Jim and Tracy as well. After all, Tracy's first (presumed) sexual experience came from a teacher much like Jim, and Jim enjoys exerting his dominance over Tracy when he can--which considering how ineffectual he is, isn't often at all. Rumors and information become currency in this Machiavellian relationship. Consider when the two hurl threats at one another in a battle of egos after Jim accuses Tracy of tearing up her competition's campaign posters (which she did). The cleverness of Election is in the way that, despite these characters being terrible, self-absorbed people, we find ourselves understanding them regardless. Not sympathizing, mind you, but just seeing how they could be so horrible. Because deep down, they believe that they are entitled to something more than they truly deserve, and lack the necessary ethical boundaries to contain their avarice. Surely the title, Election, is no coincidence. One has only to look at national politics to see the likes of Jim and Tracy run rampant. God help us all if they represent the future of our great nation!
Recommended for: Fans of a black comedy that subverts expectations about the motivations of the characters through narration, and challenges the idea that someone who appears to be good actually is good at all. Election is at its best when the battle of wills between Jim and Tracy is in full swing--and kind of lags the rest of the time--resembling something like All About Eve by way of Heathers.